CBS Sports has given no indication that Tony Romo will return to its lead NFL booth anytime soon, even as the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback remains under contract and continues to say he hopes to come back.
Romo has not been fired. The network placed him on leave in late July, eight days after his arrest in Milwaukee, and has offered only brief updates since then. J.J. Watt has taken Romo’s seat next to Jim Nantz, and CBS has already assigned that pairing through Week 3, including the Ravens-Cowboys game in Brazil.
Romo, 46, was pulled over July 23 while driving south on Interstate 43 after leaving a golf tournament. Milwaukee County deputies said he passed vehicles in a gore area that separates highway traffic from an on-ramp. An arrest report said he performed poorly on field sobriety tests and was taken into custody on suspicion of operating while intoxicated.
Deputies later reported finding an open bottle of alcohol on the passenger side of Romo’s Jeep during an inventory before the vehicle was towed. Body-camera video showed Romo saying he had consumed “zero” drinks and was on his way “to visit grandma and grandpa.” A deputy cited red, glassy eyes and the odor of alcohol.
Romo declined a preliminary breath test, telling officers he had been advised by lawyers not to take one. He was booked and released the same night. On Sept. 1, he pleaded no contest to the civil OWI charge. Two related citations, for unsafe passing and possessing open intoxicants, were dismissed. Court records listed a fine connected to the remaining offense and a period of license restrictions.
CBS announced the leave with a one-sentence statement: “Tony Romo is on leave from his role at CBS Sports until further notice.” In August, CBS Sports president David Berson said there was “no timetable or final decision” on Romo’s future.
The network has not added much since. Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio wrote that CBS “has said nothing more about the status of No. 1 NFL analyst Tony Romo since CBS placed him on leave, with a one-sentence press release.” Florio later noted that the network confirmed the leave would last at least through Week 3 and that Nantz and Watt would work the Brazil game.
The larger question is money. Romo signed a 10-year, $180 million contract with CBS in 2020. The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand has reported that about four years and $72 million remain. Marchand wrote that returning Romo to the No. 1 team “seems far-fetched at the moment” and that CBS could use a morals clause and other contract language “to try to reach a settlement on the final $72 million.”
He added, “It could end up in a legal fight to determine how much Romo will receive to leave.”
Watt’s presence has given the arrangement a more lasting feel. The former pass rusher joined CBS after his playing career and has now worked the network’s top games to open the season. CBS has not publicly framed the move as permanent, but it also has not reserved a later date for Romo.
Romo addressed the arrest in a statement after his plea.
“Multiple back surgeries ended my career earlier than I expected and left me with constant, debilitating pain,” he said. “That pain led to a dependence on pain medication, and my efforts to get off those medications led to an over-reliance on alcohol.”
He said he is working with doctors and is grateful for support from family, friends and the NFL community.
“As I turn my attention to my health, my family, and, in time, my return to CBS, I kindly ask for privacy during this period.”
That last line is the closest thing to an official timetable from Romo himself. CBS has not confirmed any return date. For now, the former Cowboys quarterback remains off the air, Watt remains in the lead booth, and the remaining years on a nine-figure contract hang over both sides.
Romo spent his entire NFL playing career in Dallas, going from undrafted free agent to four-time Pro Bowl selection and the franchise’s career leader in touchdown passes with 248. He joined CBS in 2017 after retiring and quickly became one of the most recognizable voices in football television.
Whether that voice returns to CBS is still unresolved. The network has scheduled its top team without him through the early weeks of the season. Romo has said he wants to come back after focusing on his health.
The next public signal, if there is one, will likely come from CBS’s broadcast assignments rather than another one-sentence statement.
